The Unwrapping of Toni Stark
by Kup of Koko
Summary: Toni Stark built up some pretty thick shields over the years. But it only took that one special person and that one special time of year for them to be ripped away like wrapping paper. Fem!Tony; AU 3490
1. Christmas Trees and Candy Canes

Ummm...hi. *gives little wave, then ducks out of way of tomatoes* I know it's been a while, but this time (last chappy of The Darkness Within will be up this week or next week cross my heart), I _do _have a good excuse; my 'puter broke, so I had to wait for a few months to save up to get a new one. Say hello to Pooky Bear, my new laptop! Pooky Bear says hi.

But, onto business. This was supposed to be a prompt fill for '12 Days of Avengers Christmas'. But since my computer died *glares dead computer, which sulks alone in a corner*, I had to make it more...simple (okay, so maybe it wasn't JUST the computer; just call me the queen of procrastination! :) So, there are 3 chapters (2 prompt fills for each). It is Earth 3490/female Tony Stark, so if you don't like genderbending, I don't recommend this story.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Oops, almost forgot:

Disclaimer: My name is Koko and I do not own Avengers, thought it would have made a lovely Christmas present. Oh, well. There's always next year.

And all chappies are unbetaed. All mistakes are my own.

* * *

_Christmas Trees-Candy Canes_

* * *

_ Crunch. _

Steve could feel his left eye twitch.

_ Crunch._

_ 'Just breath.' _he thought to himself. '_Ten deep breaths, then…'_

_ Crunch. _

Oh, and there went his eye again.

The Avengers were going to pick out a Christmas tree for the tower, and Steve (heaven _knew _why) had insisted that they all go together, as a fam…team. As a team.

So, Phil had rented a huge, white van (Toni had called it a "molester van", whatever that meant), and they'd all piled in for the mini-road trip to Carlson's tree lot.

Toni had whined and complained (of course, it wasn't like everyone else was happy about it, either-the only ones who appeared to be happy about it were Steve-team bonding-and Thor, who was "most happy to see the "set of trees grown by the son of Carl"). Still, they'd had to forcibly buckle Toni into a seat in the very back, which was a little _too _dramatic. The billionaire had moaned that it was bad for her image to be seen in a 'molester van'. They all knew different, though-they just couldn't tell if it was arrogance or insecurity, but suspected it was more one than the other. Either way, they'd gotten her into the van and were on their way. Steve had been adamant they all go together.

Only now he wished he hadn't.

_ Crunch. _

"Would you…_please…_stop that." Steve managed to grit out, clenching and unclenching his fists as they rested on his knees.

Toni grinned at him through the rearview mirror.

_ Crunch._

"Toni." Phil's voice was calm, emotionless, his eyes trained on the road. "There are seven people in this van, and you are the only one who has to cause problems."

"Hurry up and finish your candy cane!" Steve growled.

"'Kay."

_ Crunch. _

_ Crunchcrunchcrunchcrunch._

It felt as if his eye was trying to tap dance.

Natasha smirked over at him. "She's only doing it to get a rise out of you, Cap. Just ignore her and she'll stop."

He nodded, letting out a pent-up breath and slowly uncurling his fingers. He could do this. He was calm. He was…

A very loud, very deliberate

_ crunch._

Steve lost it.

* * *

"I can't believe you did that." huffed Toni, trudging along in the wet, brown sludge that coated the side of the icy winter road. A good chunk of her dark hair was missing, just over her left ear (he'd Avenged his eye twitch).

"You asked for it." Steve huffed right back.

Running her mitten-covered hands up and down her arms with a shiver, she heaved a loud sigh. "I still can't believe Coulson made us walk. I mean, what are we, 5?"

"Yes, you did ask…wait, what?"

Electric blue eyes rounded one, quick rotation. "Nothing. I always though you had more of a lid on it, Cap."

Milky air gusted from his flared nostrils as a smile ghosted over thin lips. "I don't when obnoxiously little girls crunch candy canes right next to my super-serum enhanced ears."

"'M not a little girl." she muttered, arms clamped defensively over her chest.

He reached down to ruffle her hair, letting his fingers slide through the silky, boyishly short (she claimed it was called a 'pixie cut' and even Romanoff had said it was 'all the rage'), strands. "You are, compared to me."

Toni bumped her hip against his own (or his leg-he had a good foot on her). "Don't be so modest; you were frozen most of the time."

He chuckled low in his throat. "Thank you for that lovely confidence builder."

She regarded him with innocence framing her doe eyes. "Oh, you know me. Always striving to please."

He couldn't stop his eyes from darting to the missing hair_. _"Sorry about your hair. I…didn't really mean to pull it out. Honest."

Her playful expression instantly transformed into a guarded pout as she patted her tresses down to cover the bald spot. "You should be."

"In my defense, it was _you _who was…"

"Hey! Don't you _dare _to pin this one on me, it…"

"… eating that candy can rather loudly."

"…was just as much you as it was me!"

"You're the one who was _purposefully _being…"

"Oh, yeah?! Well, _you're _the one who jumped over the backseat like…"

"…obnoxious! I mean, really, you'd think a…"

"…like a kangaroo!"

"Hey! I am not…"

Toni stopped, clamping her hands over on her ears, curling in on herself. There was a wild, hunted sort of look in those eyes, a look that instantly made him feel bad. "Stark…"

"Shut up!"

Steve scowled. "Stark, really…"

"I said stuff a sock in it and shove it where sun don't shine, Captain, _O my Captain_."

The rest of the walk was full of silence and glares wasted on the innocent snow ahead.

* * *

The tree lot was swarming with people, and was heavily forested with large pine trees.

It was a wonder they didn't have a search and rescue team there to help people find their way out.

"This is just great." Toni griped as her wool coated fingers curled around Steve's bicep, trying to keep track of him in the thick knot of people and trees. He barely contained a gasp as electricity jolted up his arm-not an altogether unpleasant feeling. Toni apparently hadn't felt it, if her enduring chatter was anything to go by. "I mean, we'll never find them with all these people running around like crazed ants. And you wouldn't let me bring my phone! Team outing, my big toe!"

He ignored her in favor of glancing down at her small hands in confusion as tingles continued to race up his arm. Did she have Natasha's Widow's Bite under those mittens?

She noticed his look and pulled on hand away to stretch it out before them. "They're not much to look at,"-it was true-the wool was dyed an ugly maroon with puke-green stripes, and it appeared the knitter had unintentionally dropped several (hundred) stitches, "but surprisingly warm. Pep made them for me last year." The genius smiled softly down at the mittens. "She promised me a matching scarf this Christmas."

Steve couldn't stop his own tender smile. He'd never seen Toni look so blissfully vulnerable.

He realized, with a small start, that she was beautiful.

"Ooofff!"

After that kind of revelation, the last thing he needed was a cannon ball to the stomach. But, fate just _loved _Steve Rogers.

Glancing down, he saw a dazed little boy, lying on his rump in the middle of the cobblestone path. He must have been about 6 or 7, all bundled up in scarves and coats and double gloves. A few, wet strands of pale blonde hair peeked out from under his Iron Man beanie, barely brushing his tear-filled blue eyes. He bit his lip as he stared up at Steve, letting out a squeak of, "Sajnálom!"

The soldier knelt down, resting his weight on one knee and fixing a friendly smile over his worried frown. "Hey, little guy. Are you alright?"

The boy blinked up at him uncomprehendingly. "Ninics English, nincs English."

Steve's brows crumpled in confusion. "What?"

"Aha!" Toni snapped her fingers, startling both males. "_Hungarian, _Capsicle! He's speaking Hungarian! I _knew _it sounded familiar!"

In a flat, exasperated tone, he murmured, "I don't speak Hungarian."

"Well, I do. Move over." The woman crouched down and gave Steve a little nudge. He took the hint and stood, stepping out of her way.

"Ummm…oh, right! Sorry, I'm a little rusty. Jól vagy?"

Relief flooded the boy's face and he shook his head emphatically. "Azt hiszem, az elveszett."

Lips pursed, Toni's head dipped slightly in confirmation. "Sajnálom. Ha megyünk meg a szüleid?"

The child eyed her distrustfully. "Nem szabadna, hogy szóba idegenekkel."

She threw her head back and laughed, the column of her tan throat illuminated by the Christmas lights blinking cheerfully around them. Steve swallowed thickly, focusing on the exotic words as they poured easily from Toni's lips. "Igen, de én nem vagyok idegen. Én vagyok Iron Man."

The boy's jaw dropped. "_Tényleg?!_"

Toni laughed again, her own eyes sparkling. "Tényleg. És ez a fickó Amerika Kapitány."

He edged closer to Toni, eyes bright and excited. "Ön egy titkos küldetés? Ezért te álruhában?"

Toni nodded. "Igen, de nem mondja el senkinek. Titkos, emlékszel?" For emphasis, she placed a finger to her lips-although the effect was lost, seeing as she had only two fingers in those mittens.

When the boy nodded eagerly, Toni added, "Vagyunk egy szuper-titkos küldetése, hogy segítsen megtalálni az anya és apa. Hol láttad őket utoljára?"

The little boy pointed down a path that wound through the trees to the side of where they were standing. "Ott lent."

Toni smiled brightly, rolling back up to her full height and taking the boy's hand in hers as she wrapped her arm around Steve's once more. "Keressük őket!"

As they turned down the walkway, Toni asked brightly, "Mi a neve?"

The child smiled shyly up at her. "Albert."

"A nevem Toni." She gestured to herself, then at Steve. "Ez Steve." In English, Toni said, "Cap'n, this is Albert. We're helping him find his anya and apu-his mom and dad."

Steve sent Albert a small wave. The boy grinned, then ducked behind Toni. The man chuckled. "I didn't know you spoke Hungarian."

She cheeks flushed lightly. "Surprise? I kinda forgot about it. I learned it a few years ago, when I got back from…" She broke off suddenly, clearing her throat with an exaggerated cough. "When I got back."

Steve's brows rose in curiosity, but in the short time he'd known Toni, he'd found he wouldn't get anything out of Toni that she didn't want to tell him, so he let the matter lie.

As they continued down the path, Steve couldn't help but think how…_right _this felt-his arm around Toni's shoulders, her hand held tightly by a child who had her eyes and his hair. What would that be like, to have a family with her?

The illusion shattered as Albert squealed, "Anya! Apu!", and broke from Toni's hold, running into the arms of an anxious looking couple several yards away. They received him with scolding cries of "Hol voltál?!" and "Hol voltál?!" and even a "Buta fiú!" (whatever that meant.)

Oh, well. It had been a hopeless dream anyway; there was no way he and Toni would ever stop arguing long enough to even consider a relationship.

Did he seriously just think that?!

"Hey, C.A., you coming? Our anonymous good deed of the day is finished so…ninja vanish!" She ducked behind a tree, poking her head around to grin at him. "'Sides, we gotta go find the others. Geeze, it's like a Christmas corn maze. Only, the corn is pine trees and…yeah, I'll shut up now. Whoever finds them first gets dibs on the first cup of coffee tomorrow!"

But, as Steve laughed and chased her through the sweet-smelling pines, he couldn't help but wonder about what could never be.

* * *

**Hungarian Translations (I used google translate, so...they're probably not very correct. BLAME GOOGLE NOT ME!) XD:**

Sajnálom: I'm sorry

Ninics: No

Jól vagy?: Are you alright?

Azt hiszem, az elveszett.: I think I'm lost.

Sajnálom. Ha megyünk meg a szüleid?: I'm sorry. Should we go find your parents?

Nem szabadna, hogy szóba idegenekkel.: I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.

Igen, de én nem vagyok idegen. Én vagyok Iron Man.: Yes, but I'm not a stranger. I'm Iron Man.

_Tényleg?!: Really?!_

Tényleg. És ez a fickó Amerika Kapitány.: Really. And this guy is Captain America.

Ön egy titkos küldetés? Ezért te álruhában?: Are you on a secret mission? Is that why you're in disguise?

Igen, de nem mondja el senkinek. Titkos, emlékszel?: Yes, but don't tell anyone. It's a secret, remember?

Vagyunk egy szuper-titkos küldetése, hogy segítsen megtalálni az anya és apa. Hol láttad őket utoljára?: We're on a super-secret mission to help you find your mom and dad. Where did you see them last?

Ott lent.: Over there.

Keressük őket: Let's go look for them

Mi a neve?: What's your name?

A nevem Toni: My name is Toni.

Ez Steve: This is Steve.

Hol voltál?!: Where were you?!

Hová tűntél: Where did you go?

Buta fiú!: Silly boy!

(I just realized that most of this story is written in Hungarian. O.o I really need a life. Ooo, and a fun fact: Albert is actually a Hungarian name; it means bright :)


	2. Decorations and Traditions

_Decorations-Traditions_

* * *

The com crackled as Natasha's voice ruptured the static. "Did you get it, Iron Man?"

Toni stood ram-rod straight, arms and legs held stiffly at her sides. "Yup. Light'er up, Widow." She shot into the snowy clouds, enjoying the feeling of just being able to _fly _and not worrying about robots or aliens or giant lobsters. Just to be able to savor this sensation of freedom and…

"Hurry up, Iron Man, we need you back at base." Cap's voice held no room for protest.

Ah well, she'd been getting to poetic anyway.

"Yeah, _Iron Man, _hurry up! Operation: Christmas Decorations is on a time limit!"

Toni grinned at Clint's easy banter. "I'm sorry, I hadn't realized. So I guess there's not time for me to stop and get shawarma, then."

There was a little moan from the other end of the com. "Geeze, Toni, you're killin' me here!"

"Focus!" Roger's snapped.

Toni rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the landing bay of the tower. That captain could be _way _too uptight sometimes…

"Youch! JARVIS! Ahh, colddoldcoldcold!" She sprinted in through the large French doors, slamming them shut behind her. "It's so coldcoldcoldcold!"

Natasha eyed her distastefully over the porcelain stable. "If you'd actually wear _clothes, _Toni…"

The billionaire frowned as she plucked at her old wife beater and stained cargo shorts. "But I _am _wearing clothes."

It was the first and only time a baby Jesus was thrown at her head.

* * *

"Bruce, Brucie, Bruciebear, my darling my love…."

The man didn't even look up from his chemicals. "What do you want, Toni." It wasn't posed as a question.

"I need you to come help me decorate the Christmas tree…"

"I'm busy."

"I know that you are tremendously busy, but Thor is in New Mexico, and Coulson is at SHEILD HQ and Tash and Clint are sparring and if I interrupt them, they will _kill _me and…"

Banner adjusted his glasses. "Get to the point, Toni."

"I'm working on it, don't get your panties in a wad. Aaannnddd, it's only Capsicle and I decorating the tree, and I can't decorate the tree with Captain High-and-mighty-and-so-much-holier-than-thou. Honestly, the man hates me; he'll find a way to murder me with one of those glass ball thingys."

"No."

"No?" Her voice did _not _give a scared little squeak, no, of course not.

"No." Bruce confirmed as he stood, back popping with a loud _crunch!. _

"Why not?" Still _not _squeaky.

"It'll be good for you two to work out your differences together."

"What _differences_?" The word rolled off her tongue as if she'd never heard it before in her life.

"You're kidding, right?"

When Toni continued to stare at him blankly, he sighed and tugged off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "You two argue constantly. Maybe a little alone time would do you some good."

She snorted. "Oh, we've had _plenty _of alone time; just yesterday, Coulson kicked us out of the van and made us walk to the tree lot!"

A slow grin stole over the man's face. "And Tash told me about it. Man, I wish I could've been there. Your expression must have been priceless."

A disgruntled little grunt slipped from between her lips. "In my defense, Cap'n Crunch's face was pretty good too."

"Mmmhmm." Bruce hummed, placing his glasses back on the tip of his nose, a nonverbal way of saying, "This conversation is now over."

"I hate you." Toni mumbled as she trudged out of his lab.

A chuckle of, "Love you too," followed her out the door.

* * *

"Hey Cap."

Rogers didn't even turn to acknowledge her; just kept rummaging around in that old cardboard box. "Stark. Are you the only one coming?"

Reflexively, Toni glanced behind herself, then sighed. He'd gotten her again. "'Fraid so. It's just me. Goldilocks is in New Mexico and Bruce is…"

"That's nice. Look!" The man turned with a grin (looking for all the world like a cute little golden retriever puppy), holding out an old Captain America Christmas tree ornament.

Toni's brows jumped ten feet.

"See?" He held out an Iron Man one this time. "There's one for everyone."

"Okay. This is the final straw. You no longer have access to my credit cards."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Let's just decorate the tree."

Of course it was Steve who broke the initial awkward silence.

"So…um, you were really good with that little boy yesterday."

Toni hummed noncommittally.

"Do you spend time with kids?"

"Pepper sometimes brings her nieces and nephews over."

"That sounds…nice."

Toni grinned at him smugly. "They adore me. And they're so much fun. I get to spoil them, fill them up with candy, then send them home. I'm sure they're parents hate me."

Steve smiled back at her, reaching up to put a snowflake near the tip of the tree. "Is that what you do every Christmas?"

"Is what?"

"Spend time with Pepper's family?"

Toni shrugged, tucking an angel into the green branches. "Depends. Sometimes, I spend the day with Rhodey and his mom. Occasionally, my cousin, Morgan, he'll pull his head out of a bottle long enough to realize it's Christmas and come over. And sometimes I just stay home. What'd you used to do?"

Steve's eyes shone, and Toni immediately knew she'd wandered into 'let me regale you with my childhood memories' territory. "It was the great depression, so we didn't do too much. If we were able to, we'd get a tree. We'd decorate it with tinsel, bits of yarn and old fabric, popcorn, if we were lucky. My mother always made sure that I put my stocking over the fireplace Christmas Eve, then she'd read me the Christmas story out of the Bible. There never was much on Christmas morning, but there was always something-homemade gingerbread, an orange, a wooden car. And when we had Christmas dinner, Mother always managed to make a pudding-she was from Ireland, traditions and all."

Toni found herself smiling, picturing it all. "That sounds like a nice way to grow up."

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Why? What were your Christmases like?"

Her once-open face closed off, and Steve immediately regretted the question. Her answer was carefully arranged. "There…never really was Christmas. I mean, sure, there were gifts, but there never was a Christmas dinner, or anything. Dad was always at the office, and Mom tried her best, but I…I was different from all the other kids. Mom always tried to get things she'd thought I'd like, but dolls don't really hold much interest to a girl who'd built her first circuit board when she was four. Not that I wasn't grateful, she tried her hardest. It's just….I dunno, I felt like they never really quite understood how to act around kids. I was a…bit of a surprise." The words '_an accident' _were left unsaid, but Steve could tell they were there.

Suddenly, Toni chirrped," Well, I think we're done! Tree looks great, good find on those Avengers Christmas ornaments, I'll be in my lab! Nice talking to you!"

And then, she was gone, down the elevator before he could get the words out of his mouth. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, wishing. Hoping.


	3. Gifts and Mistletoe

_Gifts-Mistletoe_

* * *

"Wake up, Caaaaapppppppssssiiiiccclllllleeeee! It's Chhhhrrriiisssstttmmmmmaaassssss!"

"Ugh, shut up." Steve rolled in the sheets, pressing his face into his pillow and kicking the hot sheets away from his feet.

Toni gasped. "Guys! Captain America just _cussed_ at me! Somebody call someone! Call the president! Call the army! Call the..."

"'Shut up' is not a swear word, Stark. So just..._be quiet._"

"No."

"Uuuunnnnnggghh!"

"It's Christmas morning, Cap! We've gotta open presents. You're the only one still in bed; everyone else is waiting for you."

He groaned. "My alarm was set for 6:30."

"Well, it's 6, so...basically the same thing."

"Fine. Just wait a minute."

Toni squealed, darting out of the room. "He's waking up, guys! You said if _he _would get up, you'd get up too, so come on! I want you guys to see what I got you."

Steve chucked, scraping himself up off the bed. She was so much like a child, and her excitement was infectious.

* * *

"Ooo, and this one's for you, and this one is for you and this one is for y...ohp, nope, it's for Point Break..."

Shockingly enough, Toni was the only one who was awake enough for presents-aside from Steve.

He couldn't help but wonder how much time and money she'd put into this Christmas, to make it special for them all.

He knew that most of the others hadn't had much of Christmas growing up (he doubted Natasha had any sort of holiday at _all_), and here was Toni, who'd never had much of a Christmas herself, getting them all gifts. It was...inspiring, for lack of a better word.

"Here, Captain Sparrow. Pep wanted me to give you this."

Blinking owlishly, he carefully took the badly wrapped package. "What?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow? Pirates of the Caribbean? C'mon, it's one of the best movies of all time."

Steve smiled lightly and shook his head.

"Movie night! But seriously, just open it. I want to see what she got you; she wouldn't tell me. But, she did tell me that it was for...I don't remember exactly, I think it was helping me find the others in that creepy pine tree maze last week."

Slipping his index finger under one side of the tape, he grinned. "Tell her thank you."

"Yeah, sure, whatever, ohmigosh, what _is_ that?"

He held up the hideous maroon and puke-green striped sweater up.

A sinking feeling gripped his chest. It would fit.

Toni burst out laughing. "Oh, man, that's just _precious_! It matches my scarf!"

Clint's head appeared from around the Christmas tree. "What's happenin' over there...what _is _that?"

"It's a sweater Pepper knitted." Toni managed to gasp out between bouts of laughter.

"It's awful!"

"Don't tell her that! It's sweet that she went through the trouble. And she must have done it in a hurry. It's not _so_ bad."

"How you manage to say that with a straight face is beyond me."

"Are you sure that you want that new Starkphone? It _was _customized, but that's something that is _so _easy to fix..."

"I'll just shut up now."

"Thought so."

Clint stuck his tongue at her before ducking back behind the tree.

Toni turned to him with a somewhat ferocious glare. "Don't you dare comment on that ugly sweater, Rogers. Pep went through a lot of trouble and more than one all-nighter to pull that off. Wear it and enjoy it. She's coming over for dinner later today, and I want her to see you wearing it."

Steve held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I wasn't planning on anything less. It was very kind of her."

"She's trying to see if she approves of you."

"I thought she already did."

"Mmm. Who knows what goes on in Pepper's head?"

* * *

Dinner went as well as one might expect.

Thirty minutes in, Clint threw his mashed sweet potatoes at Toni (he claimed they were a radioactive mush, and that Toni was trying to kill him-never mind that it was Steve who'd made them), and disappeared up the vents. Natasha had ended up trying to choke the life out of Rhodey when he'd suggested that Clint was being a little _too _sensitive-they'd both left soon after, Rhodey stomping out the front door and Tasha just...vanashing in that unnerving way of his. Bruce had disappeared into his lab after a near hulk-out. Thor was still in New Mexico, spending the holidays with Jane (which was a blessing-if he had been there, he either would have started a brawl, or ended up crying his eyes out). Pepper and Happy left almost immediately after Bruce, pleading other engagements. In those exact words.

Then, it was just Toni and Steve, sitting at a mess of a table.

They stared at each other, then glanced down, then started at each other again.

Tears welled in Toni's eyes, and she placed her napkin carefully on her messy plate. He immediately knew what she was going to say before the words left her mouth; she was too proud to cry in front of anyone. "Well, I think I'll go down to the lab and clean this up in the morning..."

"No way." Steve growled-honest to goodness _growled._ "You hid out in your lab all day yesterday. This may not have worked out the way you wanted it to, but I'm still here and you're still here and we are going to do dishes together and have a great time."

Her voice held a broken note as she choked out his name. "Steve."

He shook his head with grin, standing and offering a hand up. "C'mon. It'll be fun."

She gazed up at him, blue eyes hurt and watery. "If you say so."

* * *

It was the 'awkward tree decorating mess' all over again.

"I can't believe we're doing this. I have a dishwasher bigger than most people's closets."

"You want a proper Christmas dinner, you have to handwash the dishes."

"I'm not sure that's how it works..."

"Toni. Don't argue."

He kept his eyes on his stack of stained plates, trying to ignore the delicious way she nibbled on her lower lip. "Um...could you pass the dishsoap?"

Steve scooped up the bottle of thick blue liquid, eyeing it contemplatively. "I dunno...I kind of think that I'd like to hold onto it."

"What?" she gasped out with a laugh.

"Well, this shade of blue matches your eyes."

"Hand it over, Romeo."

He sent her (what he hoped was) a mischievous grin. "You're sure?"

Crossing her arms huffily over her chest, she held her palm open in a demanding gesture. "Positive."

Faster than the eye could blink, he'd flicked open the lid and squirted a generous amount into her hand. "Here you go."

She gaped at him, a slow grin spreading over her shocked features. "Oh, you totally did _not _just go there."

He grinned back. "I totally did."

"Well, you're going to live to regret it. You know, for all your 'man with a plan'-ness, you really did think that far ahead because I am the queen of bubble wars."

He cocked a brow at her. "Really?"

"Mhmm. Just ask JARVIS." She turned, slipping her hand into the warm water tumbling down from the tap and rubbing her hands together to work up a nice lather.

Steve began backing away. "Now you just stay there and..."

With a impish grin, she began stalking towards him.

"Now, Toni, let's be reasonable, we're both adults here..." He held the dirty plates in front of his chest, as if it could protect him from the genius's wrath.

"Well, you started it..."

"Yeah, okay, maybe I wasn't thinking..."

She let out a mock-battlecry, hurtling a ball of bubbles at his face.

The plates didn't help.

Two hours later, they were settled in a giggly heap in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, sopping wet and covered in fluffy dishsoap bubbles.

Toni stared at Steve; Steve stared back.

Her chest heaved quietly, fighting for breath. "I must admit, good sir, you are a bubble master."

"You're not so bad yourself." he whispered back.

"Bubble queen, remember? Outranks master every time."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that."

"Hmmmm. Thank you, Steve."

His heart gave a little lurch at the sound of his name on her lips. "For what?"

She gazed at him with those fathomless blue eyes. "For making this the best Christmas I've ever had."

He smiled softly. "You're welcome."

A slight _swish_ drew his attention to the ceiling above. "Look."

"What?" she sighed, voice soft and sleepy.

"Mistletoe." He leaned forward.

She met him halfway.

* * *

From inside the sterile white of the vents above the pair, Clint and Natasha exchanged smirks. "Operation 'Stoni' complete."

"Pepper will be so proud."

* * *

Whelp, hope you liked it. Reviews are love!

Happy holidays! :)


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